A former controller of BBC Learning has been named as the new group chief executive of Cambridge Assessment.

Saul Nassé (pictured) will succeed Simon Lebus at the assessment company, which is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge.

The appointment comes nearly a month after former Pearson executive Bill Anderson withdrew from the role before he was able to take up the post, citing personal reasons.

For the past four years, Mr Nassé has been the chief executive of the Cambridge Assessment English business, where he was responsible for IELTS, the English exam that Cambridge produces with others. He has also launched a number of joint products with Cambridge University Press.

Before joining Cambridge Assessment, he was controller of BBC Learning, responsible for the corporation’s education programmes and websites, including Bitesize and BBC Food. 

Mr Nassé studied natural sciences at Robinson College, Cambridge, and spent three years as a research scientist at Cranfield University.

‘New experiences for learners’

He said: “This is an exciting time for Cambridge Assessment, and I am delighted to have been asked to take on this role. Together with our colleagues at [Cambridge University Press], we have an enormous impact on students’ lives in the UK and around the world.

“I believe we have the chance to increase that impact, combining our assessment skills with emerging technologies like machine learning. We have a committed and knowledgeable team at Cambridge Assessment, and with access to expertise across the University and the Press, we can create innovative new experiences for learners.”

Anthony Odgers, chairman of the University board to which both Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press answer, said Mr Nassé had “a global outlook and a real belief in education’s power to change lives, which make him the ideal person to realise Cambridge Assessment’s ambitions.”

Mr Lebus is stepping down after 15 years at the helm.

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